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Sensorimotor and Psychosocial Trajectories in Adolescents With Tic Disorder

Key facts

Who runs it
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Where
Nashvile, United StatesSee the site
Trial code
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
351 people, planned
Started
24 Oct 2024
Expected to end
May 2030
Type of study
Observational, 2 groups
Treatments tested
  • This study involves no intervention.
Record updated
24 November 2025

Who can take part

Age
11 years to 17 years
Sex
Women and men
Healthy volunteers
Can take part

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 6 criteriaShow less

Other criteria

  • Inclusion criteria for adolescents with tic disorder:; adolescent age 11-17 years of age; adolescent diagnosis of chronic tic disorder (Tourette syndrome, chronic motor tic disorder, chronic vocal tic disorder); English-speaking adolescent and caregiver/adult proxy (as validated questionnaires are in English); adolescent and caregiver/adult proxy willingness and ability to complete relevant questionnaires
  • Exclusion criteria for for adolescents with tic disorder:; cognitive or attentional impairment precluding ability of adolescent or caregiver/adult proxy to complete questionnaires and other study measures; adolescent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or psychotic disorder; adolescent diagnosis of pervasive genetic disorder besides chronic tic disorders and their known comorbidities; adolescent with severe medical conditions unrelated to chronic tic disorders (e.g. uncontrolled seizures, prominent heart conditions); other variables that might influence ratings outside of the typical presentation of chronic tic disorders
  • Additional exclusion criteria for EEG tasks for chronic tic disorder sample**; adolescent treatment with stimulant medications or anti-seizure medications within the past 30 days; use of marijuana or recreational substances within the past 30 days; history of seizure; history of hearing loss or abnormalities; history of neuropathy or overt sensory deficit; history of brain surgery or skull-penetrating/deforming trauma; history of stroke, brain cancer, or other significant neurologic illness/disorder ** Individuals excluded based on these criteria are ineligible for the EEG portion of the study but can complete the remainder of the study measures
  • Inclusion criteria for control (neurotypical adolescent) participants; adolescent age 11-17 years of age; English-speaking adolescent and caregiver/adult proxy (as validated questionnaires are in English); adolescent and caregiver/adult proxy willingness and ability to complete relevant questionnaires
  • Exclusion criteria for control sample; history of tics, ADHD, OCD, or other significant neurodevelopmental or neuropsychiatric disorder; ** Note: adolescents with history of mood or anxiety disorder are eligible; cognitive or attentional impairment precluding ability of adolescent or caregiver/adult proxy to complete questionnaires and other study measures; adolescent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or psychotic disorder; adolescent diagnosis of pervasive genetic disorder; adolescent with severe medical conditions (e.g. uncontrolled seizures, prominent heart conditions); other variables that might influence ratings
  • Additional exclusion criteria for EEG tasks for control sample*; adolescent treatment with stimulant medications or anti-seizure medications within the past 30 days; use of marijuana or recreational substances within the past 30 days; history of seizure; history of hearing loss or abnormalities; history of neuropathy or overt sensory deficit; history of brain surgery or skull-penetrating/deforming trauma; history of stroke, brain cancer, or other significant neurologic illness/disorder

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 11 and 17 years old?

Where in United States

  • Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvile, United StatesContact: Michelle Clinical Translational Research Coordinator II, BSTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Individuals with tic disorders have lower quality of life, sensory and movement difficulties, and poorer mental, social, and physical health compared to the general population. Current clinical care for individuals with tic disorders is limited: no interventions are proven to prevent or stop the disorder exist, and most treatments focus solely on tics, though other symptoms often affect quality of life more than tics. To develop new treatments and improve care for people with tics, researchers need to better understand the different symptoms people experience and how the brain causes these symptoms.

Read full original descriptionShow less

Many individuals with tic disorders have sensory and movement symptoms other than tics. A common sensory symptom is increased sensitivity to common sensations, such as glare from sunlight, tags in shirt collars, and noises from passing cars. A common movement symptom is poor handwriting and/or poor coordination. In one study of adolescents with tic disorder, difficulty with hand coordination predicted tic severity 7.5 years later, suggesting that sensory and/or motor difficulties may be a risk factor for more severe tics later in life. Despite how common they are, much is unknown about sensory and motor difficulties experienced by people with tic disorders.

Additionally, most studies of people with tics enroll younger children. As a result, little is known about sensory, motor, and psychosocial development in adolescents with tics. Knowledge of sensory and motor difficulties in adolescents with tics is important to understand because, in other adolescent populations, such difficulties are associated with worse mental and social health and worse quality of life. Deepening insight into the sensory, motor, and psychosocial development of adolescents with tic disorders is crucial to identify causes and risk factors for poor health in this population.

The goals of this study are to measure sensory and motor symptoms and function in adolescents with tics and to compare them to adolescents without tics. The research team will enroll adolescents with tics and adolescents without tics to participate in the study. Adolescent participants will complete questionnaires, electroencephalogram (EEG) tasks, and other sensory and motor tasks at baseline (with 2 study visits occurring within 30 days of each other) and 2 years later (again, with 2 study visits, occurring within 30 days of each other). A parent or other adult who knows the adolescent well will also complete questionnaires as part of the study.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • adolescents with tic disorder

    Treatment: This study involves no intervention.

  • neurotypical adolescents (controls)

    Treatment: This study involves no intervention.

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Fit questions
Built from NCT06576726, who can take part
Record updated
24 November 2025